Lady&#39;s handbag



sept. 15, 1959 L. P. REED LADYS HANDBAG Filed Dec. 5, 1958 INVENTOR- LORENA PAT Raz-:0

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f 2,904,091 Patented Sept. 15, 1959 LADYS HANDBAG Lorena Pat Reed, New York, N.Y.

Application December 5, 1958, Serial No. 778,273

2 Claims. (Cl. 150-28) This invention relates to a ladys handbag having upper and lower compartments which are entirely separate and to which access is had through separate openings, whereby articles of diiierent character may be carried within the two compartments without coming into contact with each other.

It is often desirable for -a lady to carry in her handbag articles which should not come into contact with each other or which, for purposes of convenience and ready access, should not be intermingled. For example, for overnight or traveling purposes it is necessary now to provide separate means for carrying clothing and the usual articles carried in a ladys handbag or purse. Also, in normal daytime use it is necessary lto provide means for separately carrying such articles as money and cosmetics as well as purchased articles. Further, various articles must be carried in the evening and it is desirable not to intermingle these. The handbag provided by this invention provides separate means for carrying these disparate articles and may be made in a variety of sizes and shapes for overnight or traveling use, normal daytime use, evening use and for other uses and purposes. The provision of such bags has been a principal object of this invention.

A handbag constructed in accordance with the invention is described in the following specification and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the handbag with the covers for the upper and lower compartments open;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of the handbag with the cover aps in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a partial, enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

A ladys handbag having the new and improved construction provided by this invention is disclosed in the drawings forming part of this specification and may be formed of any suitable material such yas leather, fabric or the like, or any combination of these. The handbag has a stifr, at bottom 2, a stii rear wall 4 which extends upwardly from the rear edge of the bottom entirely to the top edge of the handbag, a stiff front wall member 6 which extends from the upper edge of the handbag downwardly toward the bottom but stops short of the bottom approximately half way between the bottom and the upper edge of the handbag. The rear wall 4 is divided by a seam 5 into an upper part 4a, the lower edge of which is at the same level as the lower edge of the front wall member 6, and a lower part 4b. The handbag also has end walls 8, 10 which are connected at their side edges to the rear and front wall members 4, 6 and at their lower edges to the end edges of the bottom to form a connected, hollow structure. The lower part of each of the end walls 8, 10, from the bottom upwardly to the level of the lower edge of the front wall member 6 is formed of stili material, while the upper part of each end wall member is formed of iexible 2 material. v A partition 12 is disposed approximately midway between ythe bottom 2 and the upper edge of the handbag, at vthe level of the lower edge of the front wall member 6, and is parallel to the bottom 2, thereby dividing the interior of the handbag into an upper coml partment A and a lower compartment B. The rear wall 4 is divided at the level of the partition 12 into upper and lower parts which are connected by a seam which permits the upper part to be moved toward and away from the front wall member 6.

A cover flap 20 is attached along its edge to lthe upper part of rear wall 4 andis of such size that it may be folded over the open top of the handbag when the front wall part 6 and the upper part of the rear wall are brought together. Fastening means 22, 24 are provided to hold the cover ap 20 in closed position with the upper edges of the front and rear wall par-ts substantially together, as shown in Fig. 2, with the upper parts of the end wall members folded or pleated as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

As stated hereinbefore, the front wall member 6 extends downwardly only to the partition 12 and access to lower compartment B may therefore be had through the opening provided below the front wall part 6. This opening into the lower compartment is controlled by a lower front wall member 30 which is of such length and height that in its closed position it entirely covers the opening to the lower compartment below the partition. This lower front wall member is pivotally connected along its lower edge to the front edge of the bottom 2 and flexible material, shown at 32, is provided between each vertical side edge of this lower front wall member and the adjacent edge of the adjacent end members 8 and 10, thus permitting the lower front wall member 30 to be moved from .the closed position shown in Fig. 2 to the open position shown in Fig. l by pivoting movement about its lower edge. A cover ap which extends entirely across the front of the handbag is pivotally connected to the lower edge of the front wall part 6 at the level of the partition 12 and may be moved from an upper position, which is shown in Fig. 1 and which it occupies when the lower front Wall member is open, to `a closed position which is shown in Fig. 2 and which it occupies when the opening into lower compartment B is to be closed. Fastening means 36, 38 are provided on the cover flap 34 and on the front surface of the lower front wall member 30 for holding the parts in position. to close the opening into the lower compartment.

It is believed that the use of a handbag according to my invention and as described above will be clear without detailed description. Obviously, the upper compartment may be opened by disconnecting the fastening members 22, 24 and moving the rear and front wall members 4, 6 apart. Also, the lower front wall member 30 may be opened to the position shown in Fig. 1 in order to permit any articles to be placed in or removed from the lower compartment. Both compartments may be closed by `the means provided.

While I have described and illustrated one embodiment of my invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, as well as modiiications of that disclosed, may be made and practiced without in any way departing from the scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be made to the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A handbag comprising, in combination, a body having a bottom, fron-t and rear walls and two end walls, a horizontal partition attached to said walls at a spaced distance above the bottom to dene an upper compartment above the partition and a lower compartment below it, said front wall comprising an upper front wall member extending only from the upper edge of the handbag downwardly to thevpartition leaving anopening be- I low-said upper front wall member and the partition pro. v

viding access to the compartment below the partition, the rear wall and both end wal'ls extending from the upper 'edge of 'the 'handbag'rv downwardly to the bottom Y'and the' lrearvvall `lsrein'gformed ofg an 'upper ypart 'and a* lowerlpart connected by'a searnat the IeveI of the horizontal partition, the upperparte of vvsaid end walls above the partition being formed off exible; maierial to permit movement ofthe upper front wall member and the rear wall toward and away from each other-for opening and closing the upper compartment,` and a lower front wall member dosing theopening to the'compartment below the partition and formingfadownward extension of the Aupper front-wall. member and 'extending fromthe to the bottom and being `pil'votaLlIy connected at its lower edge to thefront edge of the l=` ottom and having itsend edges connected tothe end walls by exible means whereby it vmay be moved to positions closing and opening the compartment' below ythe partition.

2. A handbagv comprising, in combination, va body having a sti bottom, a stiff upper front wall member extending downwardly irom the upper edge of the handbegtoward the bottomY and stopping short of the botlower edgeof the front-wall, two end walls each-of Y 4 I which is formed of stiff material from the bottom upwardly tothe lower edge of the upper front wall member and is formed of exible material upwardly therefrom to the upper edge of the handbag whereby the upper front wall member and the upper part of `the rear wall may be moved toward and away from each other, a lower front wall member which is of such width and height as to cover the frontV wall opening beneath the upper front wall member and being pivotally connected along its lower edge to the front Wall edge of the bottom, and flexible material connecting lthe side edges of the lower front wall member to the adjacent edges of the end wallmembers to permit the lower front waill member to be moved to open and closed positions with respect to the front wall opening below the upper front wall member, and a partition which is parallel to the bottom and connected to the upper front wall member, to the rear wall member and .the end wall members at the level ofthe Iower edge of the upper front Wall member and which divides the interior of the handbag into upper and lower compartments.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,220,957 Conway Mar. 27, 1917 1,478,202 Cadwell Dec. 18, 1923 '2,573,766 Hyman Nov. 6, 1951 2,860,681 Le GO NOV. 18, 1958 

